Best and Most Affordable Cities for Relocation

With more than a quarter (28.5 percent) of U.S. job applications in metro areas that would likely require people to move, American workers are showing they are willing to move for the right opportunity. But which cities should people consider this year? Today, Glassdoor, one of the world’s largest job and recruiting sites, announced results of its newest jobs report identifying the 25 Best Cities for Jobs in 2018.

This list is compiled by ranking U.S. metros with the highest Glassdoor City Score, determined by weighing three factors equally: how easy it is to get a job (hiring opportunity), how affordable it is to live there (cost of living) and how satisfied employees are working there (job satisfaction).1 As part of this report, we include each metro’s median pay for employees, median home value, job satisfaction rating, number of current job openings and a selection of local in-demand jobs.

This year, we see four newcomers among the Best Cities for Jobs: Boston (No. 6), Philadelphia (No. 18), Richmond (No. 24) and San Francisco (No. 22). Ohio is the state with the most cities represented among the top 25 (Cleveland, Cincinnatiand Columbus), while three other states, Missouri, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, are each represented with two cities on this year’s list. However, several of the country’s hot technology and finance hubs, including New York City, Los Angeles and San Jose, did not crack the top 25, primarily due to the high cost of living. Among the top 25, Chicago (No. 14) is the city with the most job openings with 271,947 open jobs. San Francisco (No. 22) and Washington, DC (No. 12) tie for the strongest job satisfaction rating (3.6).

“In today’s labor market, highly skilled job seekers are in an incredible position to find top jobs no matter where they live. But, the popularity of many major metropolitan hubs might be overshadowing the potential benefits of several midsize cities like Pittsburgh and Indianapolis,” said Glassdoor Economic Research Analyst Amanda Stansell. “While several of the cities highlighted in this report might fly under the radar, many are experiencing booming local economies, complete with a healthy dose of new job prospects and strong home affordability. Plus, employees working in these cities often find themselves quite satisfied in their jobs. In turn, this can benefit local employers as studies show a correlation between high employee satisfaction and better business performance.”

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 250,000 in October, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.7 percent. Job gains occurred in health care, in manufacturing, in construction, and in transportation and warehousing.